Murzakanov and Costa face off before UFC 327 clash

Azamat Murzakanov and Paulo Costa completed their final pre-fight face-off on Thursday ahead of their scheduled bout at UFC 327, which takes place on April 11.

Murzakanov, known as "The Professional," enters the contest carrying a 16-1-0 record and currently sits ranked twelfth in the light heavyweight division. The 37-year-old southpaw from Russia trains out of K Dojo Warrior Tribe and stands five-foot-ten with a 71-inch reach. He lands 4.7 significant strikes per minute at a 57 percent accuracy rate and adds a modest takedown threat, averaging 0.55 takedowns per fifteen minutes.

Costa, nicknamed "The Eraser," brings a 16-4-0 record into the fight and is ranked thirteenth in the middleweight division, making this contest a notable step up in weight class terms. The 35-year-old Brazilian out of Team Borracha stands six-foot-one with a 72-inch reach and fights out of an orthodox stance. He is one of the more prolific volume strikers in the promotion, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. Costa has recorded no submission attempts per fifteen minutes, reinforcing his identity as a pure striker.

Why it matters

• Murzakanov is moving up from or crossing divisional lines, adding extra intrigue to the weight class dynamics on the night
• A win for either man could strengthen a case for a top-ten ranking push in their respective or shared division
• The striking styles of both men — Murzakanov's southpaw aggression versus Costa's high-volume orthodox output — set up a technically interesting stand-up contest
• Both fighters carry losing records they will be eager to reverse or avoid extending, raising the personal stakes heading into fight night